Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-07-15
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvOR.
Interesting Address Delivered at the sara
toga Meeting by President Van Pattern

For the sixth time the representatives of
the Young Peoples Societies of Christian
EndeaVor have been called to assemble to
confer together over their YORK. we nave
come to this meeting with high hopes, ana
i'm great faith A year Cf larger work and
wider experience has passed since those in
spring days twelve months since when we
sat together i'm this place. The bl 'ssing of
God went with us rs we returned to our
homes, and has been gloriously poured out
upon our societies in the months passed.
To tn Master whom we serve he all the
honor and the praise.
In the beginning of any great enterprise
year means much. 1t has with us. The
year passed has been one of wonderful
growth and development. We expected
much but our most sangune antlclpatlonS
have been far siarpsscd. In order that we
may more fully grasp the meaning of the
great success that has attended the progress
of the Christian End"avor movement let
us briefly review its history.
In 1876, with great un umity Williston
Church in Portland, Me. called to its pas
toratc the Rev. f. T. Clark. In the winter
of 1880 and 81 series of sabbath school
PRAYER meetings resulted in the CONVEX
! sion of considerable number of the chill
dren. Then came to the pastor the prob
lem which has perplrXcd 50 many pastors
! how can these children he best trained for
active Christian lives their growth i'm faith,
| in works i'm character, made sure by right
! Christian nurture The answer to Mr..
| Clark's study of this problem was the
| constitution of the first Society of Christian
! Endeavor. We believe he was diVinely
guided The wonderful growth of these
societies in numbers, the increased strength
and life given to the churches through them,
is not of men but of God. The unqualified
success of Mr.. Clark society, led to the
formation of others in Portland and vicin-
ity. and in June, 1882 the first conference
was held attended by the representatives of
| four societies.
The following year which stands as the
second in our annals, but which was really
the first related to the extension by systemat-
| c effort, was most encouraging one. The
number of societies formed that first year
we do not know but at the second annual
conference held in Portland June :, 1888
tiftv-six were reported with Il membership of
| $50 Christian En-, slvOr now began to
attract general attention from pastors and
| churches. The words of praise from those
who had tried it were emphatic and cheer
ing. OF course it met much criticism from
those who thought they saw dangers to the
church in such an aggressive movement 10y
the young people. but when critics came
into actual contact with the work and UNI
dcrstood the truth that it was movement
to enlist the young people in the work of
the church, they were turned into friends,
The tide swept ON, and when in October,
1884 the third annual conference was held
in Lowell 1876 societies with S905 members
were reported. Another year passed, and we
met for the fourth conference at Ocean
Park, July and 9, 1889. Again the reports
showed a most gratifying gain. Two hun
dred and fiftythrce societies were reported
with nearly 5000 members. The attend
ance of delegates was large and the enthu-
siasm inspiring. The officers declared that
the time for the employment of a general
secretary had arrived. and an appeal to the
delegates for pledges for the necessary funds
was most heartily responded to- Steps were
taken to organize the United Society. and
the movement was placed on thoroughly
systematic basis, and its officers furnished
for aggressive work. The next year was
that closed by our conferen &c in this place
last July. Its eminent success was made APP
parent by that conference. and by the re-
ports submitted. Eight hundred and fifty
societies were ON the roll, with 30 GOO mem
bers. A larger sum of money was pledged
and plans for the still more effective prosccu-
ton of the work proposed,
And now Secretary Ward tells lis that
his records contain the names of 2,3l4 so
cieties whose membership numbers oven
100, 600 What can we say to this but tC
: let our hearts swell out in songs of praise
; and gratitude to God, that He has So mar
velously blessed this movement whose object
is to bring the children into the arms of Hi,
blessed son.
| What is the meaning of this wonderful
| increase. and of the enthusiasm and success
full work which attends it To me it means
= first that the children of Christian home
, are far more ready and willing to accept
: Christian duty and obligation than we haC
supposed Given Christian home, wei
taught Sunday school and an active Chris
= tian Endeavor society, should we not expect
every child under these circumstances to be
y come naturally real and sincere Christian
= willing to accept such obligations as are in
cuded in the duties of our memberships
Another reason for our success may he
found in the better teaching and greater
effectiveness of the Sunday school. This il
the recruiting ground of our societies, anC
: il is one of the delightful features of tn,
work that the scholars so generally com,
+ into the societies rs soontai of proper age
f The growth of this movement means, too
{ that the young people have recognized thu
, fact that more real pleasure and enioymen
: can be had in the Christian life than il
any other; that membership in II Christian
Endeavor society means social pleasure anC
y true enjoyment 1t means, too, new view
0 ON the part of churches and ministers as t.
Z the proper treatment of the children in thu
church The simple faith of the child, bull
. on an experience of love- and ON the recep
5 ton of the truth, of the Bible rs taught b,
( parents and in Sunday school, is no longe
e distrusted but is accepted as proof of titneS
| for church membership But with this, i
= is recognized, must 90 the best methods O
, Christian nurture, 1t will not do to leav
a the little ones of the flock without specia
care, and the best possible provision fo
"A growth in spiritual strength The great use
| fulness ofChristian Endeavor methods in thi
: direction is now every where acknowledge
i and thier rapid adoption for this purpos
l.. Z. ia.